WJPA Sports

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Eduardo Rodríguez pitched eight shutout innings, Gabriel Moreno hit a two-run homer and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0 on Wednesday, clinching the three-game series. Arizona now sits two games up on the Pirates for the final NL wild card. Rodríguez struck out two while giving up five hits on 105 pitches before Brandyn Garcia closed out a hitless ninth inning for his second save of the year. Max Kepler drove in the only other score with an RBI single in the sixth inning.

South Hills, PA, has won PONY Baseball’s Host Area Zone to qualify for the 2026 Printscape PONY League World Series.  South Hills secured its spot by repeating as Host Area Zone champions, turning in an impressive undefeated performance throughout the tournament.  South Hills will open play against Navojoa, Mexico, at 2:30PM/ET on Saturday, Aug. 8, at Historic Lew Hays PONY Field as they look to build on their strong summer and make a deep run in the 2026 Printscape PONY League World Series.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates rookie slugger Esmerlyn Valdez is back in the lineup against the Arizona Diamondbacks a day after getting hit in the hand by a pitch. Valdez was forced from Monday night’s game after being hit on the left hand by a fastball. X-rays and other tests showed only a bruise, not broken bones. The 22-year-old right fielder is off to an outstanding start to his career. He is hitting .290 with 14 home runs and 36 RBIs in 38 games to go with a 1.008 OPS.

LATROBE, Pa. (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers says there’s “zero debate” that this season will be his last. The four-time MVP’s status beyond 2026 is one of the few certainties for the Steelers as training camp begins. They have a new head coach, Mike McCarthy, who brings fresh ideas to the team. The team will practice earlier in the day and tackling will be limited. Pittsburgh will begin camp with defensive backs Joey Porter Jr. and Jalen Ramsey on the physically unable to perform list.

Miami is the preseason favorite to win the Atlantic Coast Conference football championship. The Hurricanes have never won the ACC title since joining the league ahead of the 2004 season. Miami is coming off a run to the College Football Playoff title game. The Hurricanes were the runaway choice in voting by media members at the league’s football media days earlier this month. SMU was picked second, followed by Louisville and Clemson among the top teams. Duke is picked 10th after last year’s unexpected run to the program’s first outright ACC title since 1962.  Georgia Tech was picked fifth, followed by Virginia, N.C. State, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh and reigning champion Duke.